Re: When you're not in remission? - Fatigue

[Guest guest]

I hadn't ever realized my fatigue could be from the MTX until someone

posted about that here recently. I know I was in more pain before

MTX, and I thought that once the pain was more under control that I

then became more aware of the fatigue. But I see now it is a MTX

side effect. So who knows.

Being fatigued is certainly easier to handle than being swollen,

stiff and in pain. Although today I am just exhausted. I can't seem

to focus and I really, really need a nap. What do you think are the

odds that my 4 year old will want to go to bed early?

Jennie

> > > The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), or sedimentation rate

> > (sed rate),

> > > is a measure of the settling of red blood cells in a tube of

> blood

> > during

> > > one hour. The rate is an indication of inflammation and

increases

> > in many

> > > diseases. There are 3 methods that labs can use to measure

sed

> > rate,

> > > Westergren's method, Wintrobe's method & Micro-sedimentation

> > (Landau)

> > > method. Westergren¹s is normally used in rheumatic disease

> > testing, but

> > > when results are given they specify which method was used

because

> > each

> > > produces a slightly different result.

> > >

> > > The remission you have while on drugs is drug-induced

remission.

> > This is

> > > different from spontaneous remission. In some people, RA may

be

> > milder and

> > > it might run a course of a year or two - particularly in

younger

> > people,

> > > young kids - and will go into a spontaneous remission and not

> come

> > back.

> > > Most people are not that lucky, but in drug-induced remission,

> when

> > you stop

> > > the drug, then the disease creeps back.

> > > Pregnancy is known to cause spontaneous remission. I went into

> > remission

> > > during one pregnancy yet flared terribly in another.

Personally,

> > I¹d take

> > > any kind of remission because it sure is glorious!

> > > a

> > >

[Guest guest]

Ok, now I know how people feel when they read the listed side effects

and think twice about taking something. All the meds I've been on up

to this point are the same or similar to one's my mom's taken for

years. I've never worried too much about side effects because she's

fine, so I figure I will be too. But one of the provigil side

effects is listed as " mental problems. " Holy side effects batman!

I will ask my doctor, I put it on my list for the next visit.

Thanks

Jennie

> http://www.provigil.com/

>

> Here's the site for Provigil.

>

> Becky

> [ ] Re: When you're not in remission? -

Fatigue

>

>

> I hadn't ever realized my fatigue could be from the MTX until

someone

> posted about that here recently. I know I was in more pain

before

> MTX, and I thought that once the pain was more under control

that I

> then became more aware of the fatigue. But I see now it is a

MTX

> side effect. So who knows.

>

> Being fatigued is certainly easier to handle than being

swollen,

> stiff and in pain. Although today I am just exhausted. I

can't seem

> to focus and I really, really need a nap. What do you think

are the

> odds that my 4 year old will want to go to bed early?

>

> Jennie

>

[Guest guest]

Oh I agree with you on that. As much as I hate taking drugs of any

kind, I never hesitated with the RA drugs because disability from RA

is a certainty for me without them (given my mom's experience with

RA, that is what I believe).

I am not sure if I need something for the fatigue or not. It could

be caused from not getting enough rest because I was trying to unpack

the last few days (I moved several weeks ago). Who knows, but I am

going to ask my rheumy and I will ask what the likelihood of " mental

problems " is and what type of " mental problems " they refer to. It's

such a general side effect, and realistically, don't we all

have " mental problems " of some sort already?

Jennie

> > http://www.provigil.com/

> >

> > Here's the site for Provigil.

> >

> > Becky

[Guest guest]

Becky, does the Provigil help even if you're getting enough sleep? I

feel like I sleep enough (now that I don't have to wake up every hour

anymore and unkink my knees), but I just get tired so much faster.

Like in the past, I could run 4 or 5 errands on a Saturday morning,

and now I'm dragging after 1 1/2.

> > > http://www.provigil.com/

> > >

> > > Here's the site for Provigil.

> > >

> > > Becky